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Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

I don't really have a dog in the fight, but let's face it, it's Kentucky. There isn't anywhere in the world that college basketball is bigger than in Kentucky. It's bigger than anything Florida could ever offer him. Generally, what KY boosters want, they get.

I would be shocked if Billy Donovan is not the next basketball coach at UK. Other than North Carolina, it's the best job in the world for a basketball coach. His buddy Pitino is just right down the road as well. Billy Donovan was crowned the next coach the minute Tubby Smith was hired. I also don't think Florida could match blank checks with Kentucky.

"My mission is to be the ray of hope, the guy who stands out there on that beautiful field and owns up to his mistakes and lets people know it's never completely hopeless, no matter how bad it seems at the time. I have a platform and a message, and now I go to bed at night, sober and happy, praying I can be a good messenger." -Josh Hamilton

Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

I mentioned this earlier, but if I heard the guy on WHAS-84 in Louisville correctly last night, they sold out eight of 18 home dates in their 12,000-seat arena.

To follow up on what Joseph said, he's been there over ten years, won the title last year, and is in line to win another this year. If they didn't show up this year, then when are they going to show up?

Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

My reference is for a coach the fans believe in. UK is all about winning basketball. I don't mean to twist that into a fair weather fan situation, because it's not at all. They had grown weary of Tubby ball and it showed in the attendance this year, but if they'd been coming off the same situation as Florida, you wouldn't be able to get a seat in Rupp. That's what I'm getting at Florida couldn't sell out the 12,000 seat O'Connel Center, and UK was in a 'bad mood' as fans and still routinely brought in 20,000 plus.

Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

I was at all the conference games, and the bigger non-conference games at Rupp this season, and, believe me, it was pretty much stuffed. Maybe not as loud as usual, but people came, unhappy or not, as per usual. I don't know the figures for the throwaway non-conference games, but I'll bet at least 20,000.

Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

I've always subscribed to the theory that the biggest stars end up on the biggest stages. I can't think of any really good examples offhand of a truly A-list hoops coach who stayed at a football school forever. Eventually, they end up at a basketball school. Or in the NBA.

Florida is loving their hoops right now, no doubt. But I lived there for quite awhile, and lived in Kentucky too, so I have some frame of reference of comparison. UF fans, on the whole, do not need to be good at basketball the way they do at football, or like UK needs to be good at basketball. That cuts two ways. Donovan can win at Florida without the pressure or the unreasonable expectations. But pressure and expectations are the natural byproduct of people genuinely caring. One cannot simultaneously argue that Florida is a much less pressure-filled job but that he's just as big a deal there as he would be in Kentucky. So it comes down to what Donovan wants. Some people want the white-hot spotlight and some people don't.

For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible

Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

Does anyone think there is a fear of let down that might drive a guy like Billy to UK? What I mean is does the fear of losing the string of success he has going at Florida drive him to UK where he now has a couple years buffer to turn things around? Could the pressure to continue be something that would push him to take the UK job?

Re: Billy Donovan and UK...

Originally Posted by macro

I mentioned this earlier, but if I heard the guy on WHAS-84 in Louisville correctly last night, they sold out eight of 18 home dates in their 12,000-seat arena.

To follow up on what Joseph said, he's been there over ten years, won the title last year, and is in line to win another this year. If they didn't show up this year, then when are they going to show up?

I just heard on whas tonight that Fla took only 500 fans to Sec tournament.
I knew they didnt take many but that is ridiculous.
Also the guy was really giving it to Katz good
Apparently he was on this morning saying there is no way BD is even thinking about Ky right now.
the host said Katz is basically crazy to think BD doesnt "think" about it whether it's during the day or a night in the bed.The host also said anyone can do 2 things like that at one time......prepare for Fla ,while if even in your mind only thinking about the ky job.
If BD takes it...I would appreciate any Ky fan posting any article,link, etc of Andy Katz admitting he was wrong or taking a bite of crow.
I mean think of the petrino's and sabin's of the world and how they say one thing and do the opposite while BD is leaving his options open yet Mr Katz "knows" what is gonna happen !

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